Box-toe piece for shoes.



' W. A. KNIFE.

BOX TOE PI CB FOR SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20, 1914- V Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

manufacturing process.

llfiil'itE STATES PATENT @F-FlClfl.

WILLIAM A. KNIFE, 0F HAVERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOX-TOE PIECE FOR SHOES.

Be it ltnoen that l, Wimmxn A. Kxirn, a citizen of the l nited States.residing at lla' crhill. in the county of Essex and btate of M isachu-zetts. h'ave invented an Improvement in Box-Toe Pieces for Shoes,of which the following is a specification.

In the manulzmture of shoes, it is common practice to terminate theleather portion of the \amp slightly beyond the rear edge of the tip.and complete the vamp with a textile portion which is connected theretoby a buttjoint. these textile end portions being known in the trade asbutters For the purpose of stiffening the toe, or making a box in thetoo, this end portion, or butter has been treated with variousself-l1ardcning substances, one method of treatment being to saturatethe material with a wax-like composition, which is liquid or freelyflexible when heated, and still or su stantially inflexible. when cold,and another to US, a gum which hardens on the evaporation of a softenerwith which it is treated. in employing a vamp having a textile tipportion thus treated, certain dilficulties have been encountered in theshoe The material with which the tip portion is inmregnated is usuallyof a more or less slippery nature, particularly when softenedsufiiciently to permit it to conform to the last. so that, in theprocess of lasting the shoe, it is diflicult to secure a firm holdthereon, as the lasting pincers which engige the edge portion thereof,are liable to slip from the same. That is, it has been found practicallyimpossible to secure a sullieiently firm hold on the saturated cloth, whle softened. to enable the vamp to be drawn as tightlv over the last asis desirable or necessary. Furthermore, the vamp and tip must always becut large to provide material which may be grasped by the lastingpincers, and this excess material, particularly at the toe, must beremoved after the shoe is lasted. One effective method of cutting awaythismaterial is to employ a trin'iming wheel having a large number ofsmall projecting'teeth. In performing this latter operation on thesaturated cloth, above referred to. the teeth of the wheel becomesfilled with the wax-like substance, so that the wheel is prevented fromoperat ngsatisfactorily. It is, moreover, very dillicult to free thewheel from this material after its intersticcs have become filledtherewith.

Specification of Letters Patent. 7

The object o t' my invention to provide a. form of vamp cml-portioi'iwhich so provided with a stili'cning composition, of the nature abovereferred to. that it will act as a box for the toe. and will notinterfere. with the operation of the lasting pincers. or with theeffective operation of the trimming wheel. I tlCCfllllIlllSll thisobject. by providing a vamp end-portion of textile or felted materialhaving the main inner portion thereof saturated with a stiffeningmaterial, and providing an unsaturated edge adapted to be engaged by thelasting pincers which is adapted to be, and is practically all trimmedoff.

For a more complete understanding of my invention, reference is made tothe accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a vamp endportion. or butter embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an edge viewthereof. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of a lasted shoe having a vampembodying my invention. Fig. 4 is a. sectional view on the line -l-+t ofFig. 3. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the shoe ready forthe application of the sole.

In the drawing (2 indicates a vamp end portion or butter which isadapted to be attached by a butt-joint to the leather vamp Z1, and islocated beneath the tip 0.

According to my invention the main inner portion of the end piece a, toits line of attachment to the sole, is saturated with a substance d, cfthe nature of paraffin or other wax-like or gum-like composition, whichbecomes liquid, semi-liquid or soft When heated or treated with asoftener or becomes stiff and hard when cold or upon evaporation of thesoftener, leaving an unsaturated edge, or margin portion 6 about thesides and tip end. which projects beyond said line of attachment. Theprocess of thus treating the end piece a may be performed in variousways as by providing a pad Which corresponds in size to the portionwhich is to be saturated. then dipping the same in the substance whileheated to liquid form, or softened by a softener," and then placing thepad (11 the portion to be saturated, so that this portion cnly absorbsthe stiffening substance. The shoe is made in the ordinary manner. thestiffening substance being heated or softened before the shoe is lastedand. when it is lasted. the unsaturated edgeportion e may be firmlygrasped by the last- Patented Feb. 9,1915- Appiication filed July20,1814. Serial No. 851.839. i

ing pincers, and the vamp may be pulled into place on the last Withouthaving 'the pincers engage the saturated portion of viously saturated.

I claim A box toe piece for shoes composed of a single sheet of textilematerial having a selfhardening, stiffening substance saturating theportion thereof within its line of attachment to the shoe sole, andhaving a con- 1 stantly flexible, unsaturated edge portion extendingbeyond said line of attachment, to provide tool-engaging means.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM A. KNIFE.

Witnesses:

L. H. HAMINAU, H. B. DAVIS.

